After the Election

Today is Thursday, November 10th. The election is over, and yesterday, Hilary Clinton gave a speech conceding the presidential election to Donald Trump.

This morning the Washington Post reported that Suicide Hotline calls were up 250% in the hour after the results of the election came in. Snopes has also reported that a number of claims of teen suicides in transgender parent groups have not been confirmed, but more and more similar reports are coming in. You can see both articles mentioned here:

So how do we respond to this? My first gut instinct is to beg you to stay. You may have fears about so many things after this election, and no matter what you fear, I pray that you would not leave this place. This world needs you and your voice.

In the beginning, God created human beings male and female, and created them both in his image. He created them as good, worthy, and beloved beings. No matter who you are: color, race, sex, orientation, or theology, or political stance, you were created as valuable and good. And no matter how bad you think things are going to be after the election, you matter. Please do not go. You are important.

And please also know that many people love you and will fight for you. The USA is not just full of Democrats and KKK members. It is full of people. And many of those people, regardless of their political stances, love you. Please stay. We all need you.

If you are hurting today and you need space, tell a friend, a parent, an acquaintance, or any other person you know if safe and will love you.

Whether you are hurting or now, I ask you to create safe space. More friends than I can count have been distraught or hopeless today. Depression is distraught and hopeless, and it kills people. Make space for those you know who are hurting to know you care, you love them, and you want them to stay. Make space to tell people they are loved and secure. Let them know they were not a mistake, they were not an accident, they were divinely inspired walking flesh. And they matter.

2 days after the election, I hope you can know that you still matter. And I hope you know that you can help someone else know they matter too, regardless of their sex, race, political ideation, orientation, or anything else. Because they matter too.

Today, and everyday is a fight for something beautiful. It is a fight for dignity and love, and that doesn’t start or end with politics. It starts and ends everyday with the decisions we make to believe we are loved and worthy, and so is everyone we interact with. It is not a fight against any group or person. It is a fight we fight with love for our families, friends, acquaintances, enemies, opponents, persecutors, and everyone else too. And we need you in this fight, no matter who you are.